Throughout the Years
by Steel Fairy
Summary: Every hero has a backstory. A collection of flash fics and oneshots focusing on Mario and Luigi's lives before they wound up as well-renowned heroes of the Mushroom Kingdom. Mild MarioxPauline in later chapters. Complete.
1. Age Five: Monster in the Basement

**AN: So after a few months of this idea being in my head, I finally decided to sit down and actually start my next multi-chaptered project. This is the result of taking the idea that Mario and Luigi didn't grow up in the Mushroom Kingdom and expanding upon it; they obviously lived some sort of life before they became well-renowned heroes, so what was it like? This collection follows the brothers and their parents as they live out their lives, starting with Mario and Luigi being young children and ending with the moment the brothers eventually wind up in the Mushroom Kingdom.**

 **Something to note is that updates will not be consistent for this story, but I will try to have a chapter out at least once per month. Another thing is that I have an outline for this story, so I am not open to suggestions for whole chapters, sorry. As per tradition with multi-chaptered fics of mine, I will reply to reviews at the end of each chapter.  
**

 **With that out of the way, our first chapter takes place when Mario and Luigi are five years old. A sound coming from the basement wakes them up, and they decide to go investigate...**

* * *

 _~Throughout the Years~_

/~/

 _~Age Five: Monster in the Basement~_

A sudden whirring sound coming from the basement is what initially woke Luigi from his slumber. Blinking, the five year old shook the shoulder of his twin brother fast asleep next to him. "Mario, wake up!"

Mario stirred, eyes opening and yawning. "What is it Weeg?" he mumbled sleepily. "Did the monster under the bed come back? Do we need Mama to scare it away for us again?"

Luigi shook his head. "No... listen! There's something in the basement!"

Staying quiet, Mario listened for what Luigi was hearing. After a moment he heard the same whir, Luigi jumping and clinging to his brother in fright.

"What are we gonna do?"

"I think we should go wake up Mama and Papa," Mario whispered, while Luigi's eyes widened in fright.

"But monsters eat parents!"

Mario hummed, realizing Luigi was right. Getting out of the bed he grabbed his trusty flashlight from the nightstand and handed it off to Luigi.

"Then we should go and see what it is ourselves!"

"Won't the monster eat us then?" Luigi panicked, while Mario shook his head.

"Not if we have our lucky hats with us!" he declared, grabbing the red and green hats off of the coat rack; fitting the red one on his head while he handed the green one off to Luigi. "And we should take our blanket with us too. The monsters can't get you if you're under the covers."

"Good call!" Luigi grinned, switching on the flashlight. Together the brothers slowly opened the door to their room, the blanket wrapped around both of their small forms. Making their way through the darkened house with only their flashlight for protection, they made it to the stairs, peering down into the dark abyss that was the basement.

"Ready Weeg?" Mario asked, Luigi shining the flashlight down the darkened staircase, the beam of light wobbling as his hand began to shake.

"I guess so..." he answered hesitantly, gripping the edge of the blanket. Carefully the two made their way down the stairs, both of them jumping in fright as the whirring got louder. They were definitely close, and continuing their descent they found themselves outside of the door that led into the back room, where the whirring seemed to be coming from. Joining hands, Mario went to open the door before a voice from upstairs interrupted him.

"And what are you two doing up so late?"

"Mama!" Luigi called, breaking away from Mario and running into his mothers arms. "There's a scary monster in the back room!"

"A monster?" their mother questioned, staring down at Mario who nodded in confirmation.

"It's making a weird sound. Listen!"

Deciding to amuse her sons, their mother listened for the sound the monster was apparently making. After a moment the whirring started again, Mario leaping away from the door and scrambling up the stairs to be with his family. "See? Like that?"

Their mother laughed, bringing her sons into her arms. "Oh, you don't need to be afraid of that monster. His name is Mr. Furnace, and he's here to keep the house warm when it gets too cold."

"Fur...nace...?" Luigi stumbled over the unfamiliar word, their mother nodding.

" _Sì_ , and he's not here to cause you any harm. In fact, he's quite the friendly monster. There's no need to be afraid of him."

"Really?" Luigi questioned, their mother ruffling his hair.

"Really," she repeated, extending her hands for both Mario and Luigi to grab. "Now, has the monster under your bed been giving you any problems recently?"

"Uh-uh. He's been leaving us alone." Mario responded, their mother smiling at the response.

"Then you two should head off to bed. After all, you have kindergarten tomorrow and need your sleep."

"Okay!" the brothers chorused as their mother led them back up the stairs and to their room. Flicking the light on, the brothers placed their hats back on the coat rack and Mario put the flashlight back on the nightside table. Getting back into their bed, their mother pulled the covers over them and kissed their foreheads.

 _"Buona notte,_ sons."

 _"Buona notte,_ Mama." Luigi murmured, closing his eyes.

 _"Buona notte,_ Mama," Mario repeated, their mother flicking off the light and closing the door behind her as she left. As Mario began to close his eyes, he heard the whir coming from the basement, and cracked an eye open. " _Buona notte,_ Mr. Furnace." he whispered as his eyes fell shut again, falling into slumber soon after.


	2. Age Six: Imaginary Friends

_~Age Six: Imaginary Friends~_

When Mario and Luigi started speaking of two entities known as 'Spark' and 'Cookie', their parents were naturally a little curious at first before they put two and two together, realizing that their sons had imaginary friends. Interestingly enough, Spark was Mario's imaginary friend while Cookie's was Luigi's, though they both seemed to be able to see the others imaginary friend. A strange thing, though their parents theorized that it had something to do with the two of them being twins. Either way, they seemed to be having fun, and to them that was all that really mattered.

From the crayon drawings that Mario and Luigi would draw and hand off to their parents, they were able to gather that Spark was a human around the same age as Mario and Luigi, while Cookie was a pet dog. They'd watch, amused, as Mario and Luigi ran around in the backyard with toy swords, letting their imagination run wild. However, it would hit a little too close to home when they would say that they were going to destroy the evil dragon and rescue whoever the dragon had managed to kidnap this time.

"You don't think they remember, do they?" their mother had asked at one point, turning to face her husband.

"I'd say it's highly unlikely. They were only babies when that happened."

"Do you think we should tell them?" their mother quietly asked after a moments pause.

"Not right now. When the time is right, then we'll tell them."

/~/

"Come on Weeg! We gotta go save Cookie from the evil Lord Spark!"

In the brother's imagination, the backyard was a dangerous landscape filled with lava and monsters at every turn. The toolshed had become a fortress where Spark waited for the brothers to confront him one-on-one.

"Give up! You'll never defeat me!" Spark called from the window, while Mario gripped the hilt of his toy sword tighter.

"Just you watch! We're gonna save Cookie from you!"

"Mario! Look out!"

Mario turned to where Luigi was pointing, where a group of skeletons had risen from the ground and were slowly advancing on the brothers. Staring down the enemies with a surprising amount of confidence for a six-year old, Mario charged at the undead minions, slashing his sword.

"I'll heal you if you get hurt!" Luigi exclaimed, before batting away the arm of a skeleton with the stick he'd found; pretending it was a magic wand.

Spark growled from the window. "Drat! They're makin' their way over here faster than I thought!"

Mario slashed through the last skeleton and began charging at the fortress, Luigi in tow. Just as they were about to confront Lord Spark...

"Mario! Luigi! Dinnertime!"

The landscape around them shifted into the backyard again, Spark and Cookie gasping as they dematerialized and rematerialized next to the brothers. Mario blinked, before turning to the door. "Be right there, Mama!"

"Guess we'll play later," Spark said, while Mario shook his head.

"Why don't you and Cookie come in for dinner?"

Spark folded his arms and gave Mario an exasperated look. "You _do_ realize that your parents can't see us, right? An' besides, we can't eat food like you two can."

"Oh..." Mario mumbled dejectedly. "Then I guess we will see you guys later then..."

"Bye Cookie," Luigi murmured sadly, petting the dog on the head. Cookie whimpered, before scampering over to Spark who picked her up and grinned at the brothers.

"See you after dinner!" he called as him and Cookie dematerialized. Mario and Luigi waved, before the former turned to the latter.

"Come on, Weeg! Let's go have dinner so we can play some more!"

/~/

"So you two were having fun outside."

Mario turned towards their mother, swallowing his mouthful of food before responding. " _Sì_ , me and Weeg were saving Cookie from the evil Lord Spark! He had a skeleton army come after us, but we took all of 'em down using our combined powers!"

"And what are your powers?" their father asked.

"I have the power of fire, while Weeg has the power of lightning!" Mario exclaimed excitedly.

Their mothers fork fell out of her hand and clattered to the floor, while their father looked visibly uncomfortable. The brothers gaze flicked from their mother and father, Mario wondering if he'd said something wrong. "Are you okay Mama, Papa?"

"Oh, we're fine," their mother smiled, though it looked somewhat forced. "Finish up your dinner you two, and then you can go play some more."

"Okay," the brothers replied in unison, though their parents strange behavior lingered at the back of their minds. As soon as the brothers left the table and headed to their room, their mother turned to her husband, concern etched on her face.

"How do they know about their powers? I didn't know they were aware of them!"

"Maybe they're not," their father contemplated. "I've never seen them summon fire or lightning before, and we would have noticed if they had. Maybe it's just their imaginations running wild."

"We need to tell them at some point," their mother said, sounding defeated.

"I know," their father responded, sounding just as defeated. "But in order for them to truly understand their origins, they need to be older so we don't confuse them. And until that time comes, we'll continue to raise them as normal humans, and hope no one else notices that they're different."

* * *

 _ **Replies**_

 **TheGameNguyener:** Yeah, I've got quite a few ideas of what their life could have been like pre-hero status, not all of them being as lighthearted as these past two have been. Thank you for the review!

 **Anonymous Girl Gamer:** Aw, thank you so much! I just hope I can keep things interesting! Thank you for the review!

 **NormanWhitesmith:** I'll admit that I based Mario and Luigi's behavior last chapter off of my own when I was that age, though what scared me in the basement was something completely different. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **FireflyOrb:** Oh don't worry, like I mentioned above I have quite a few ideas. Thank you for the review!

 **Daipocoyosy:** Well if things go well I should be updating at least once a month. Thank you for the review!

* * *

 **AN: Imaginary friends were a huge part of my childhood, so I figured I may as well incorporate it into this story. It's not the last we'll see of Spark and Cookie either, they'll stick around for a few more chapters at least.  
**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading and for the positive reception so far, and I'll see you next chapter!  
**

 **~Steel**


	3. Age Seven: Blanket Fort

_~Age Seven: Blanket Fort~_

Blankets? Check. Pillows? Check. Flashlights? You guessed it - check. Mario grinned as he grabbed a handful of sheets, Luigi doing the same and carefully laying them across the strategically placed furniture in the room. Mario took extra care in making sure their small TV was covered as well - one of the reasons they were making this blanket fort in the first place. While their parents had made it clear that they couldn't watch TV after 8 o'clock (their bedtime), a new episode of their favourite cartoon was on and they weren't going to miss it.

"Okay, blanket fort is in place!" Mario exclaimed brightly, switching on the TV. "Now, we need to turn out the lights 'cause Mama and Papa will figure out if we're up if the light is on, but the TV lights up the room. So we'll hafta adjust the settings on the TV!"

"How do you know all of this?" Luigi wondered as Mario turned off the lights, switching on the TV and lowering the volume.

"'Cause I watched Papa do it once, and it's really simple. So you press this button here that says menu," Mario mumbled, a list of options appearing on the TV screen. "And then you use the volume button to adjust the settings," Mario continued, lowering the brightness level as much as possible. "And since it's still too bright, we'll need to make the picture black and white!"

"How do you do that?" Luigi asked.

"You press menu again," Mario explained, going back to the previous screen. "And you press it again to go down to the colour option, and use the volume button again to adjust the setting!" Mario finished, pushing the button until the TV was showing a black and white picture.

"That's so cool!" Luigi exclaimed, before he frowned. "But how will we be able to hear the show without letting Mama or Papa know?"

"There's an earbud jack on the front of the TV," Mario pointed out. "So we'll plug in our earbuds and share them between us."

"You guys are _so_ gonna get caught."

Mario and Luigi turned towards the new voice, noticing that Spark and Cookie had materialized in the room. Cookie immediately went over to Luigi while Spark leaned against the wall with his arms folded, eyeing Mario with a smirk on his face.

"We're not gonna get caught!" Mario argued back. "This plan is foolproof!"

"If you say so," Spark replied dryly. "So what'cha watchin' anyway?"

"Cartoons." Mario replied simply, ducking into the blanket fort with Luigi and Cookie. "You can join us if you want, or you can stand there and pretend that you don't care."

 _"Fine,"_ Spark huffed, ducking into the blanket fort and staring at the greyscaled TV. "We really can't have colour? We need to pretend that we're in the 1950's?"

"If you don't like it you can leave." Mario shot back, Luigi holding Cookie tighter. He didn't like it when Mario and Spark fought, but that was the nature of their relationship. Perpetually sniping at each other with brief moments where they showed that they really did care for each other.

"Quiet, it's starting!" Luigi hissed, Mario and Spark quieting down as the cheerful theme song started, followed by a commercial break. It was at this point when Spark frowned.

"Me an' Cookie can't hear though..." he complained, Cookie whimpering in agreement. With this in mind Mario rolled his eyes and turned on the subtitles.

"Better?" he sighed. Spark grinned.

"Much better, thank you." he said, getting comfortable again. The four stayed in silence until the show came back on, everyone leaning closer to the screen.

For a few minutes they watched in silence, making sure not to make any sort of noise that would tip their parents off to being awake. Unfortunately something really funny happened on the show, and while Mario and Luigi tried their hardest not to laugh, they couldn't help it and a few hysterical giggles escaped from them.

"Quiet, or you're gonna get busted!" Spark warned, the brothers quieting down. Unfortunately footsteps began to echo down the hall, Spark and Cookie gasping and dematerializing as the door to the bedroom opened, their mother blinking at the sight in front of her.

"And what are you two doing?" she questioned, not sounding angry but genuinely curious.

"Watching cartoons," Luigi answered sheepishly. Their mother raised an eyebrow, eyes flicking over the blanket fort.

"That's quite an elaborate setup you have," she commented. "But it's a school night, so you're going to have to go to bed now."

"Okay..." the brothers murmured. Realizing how disappointed her sons were, their mother let out an amused sigh.

"How much longer is this on for?" she asked.

"Fifteen more minutes," Mario replied a bit sheepishly.

Their mother chuckled and shook her head. "You have fifteen more minutes, and then you need you go to bed right away. Deal?"

"Deal!" the brothers chorused, their mother shaking her head and exiting the room. As soon as she was out of earshot Spark and Cookie materialized, Spark gazing at Mario in disbelief.

"Wow... you're off the hook." he mumbled. "Can't believe you pulled that one off."

"Told you the plan was foolproof!" he proudly proclaimed, turning his eyes back to the TV.

* * *

 _ **Replies**_

 **Anonymous Girl Gamer:** Yeah, that was a stealthy reference to Yoshi's Island, and also Mario and Luigi: Partners in Time. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **XxTerminaKonataxX:** I thought the imaginary friends idea would go over well with quite a few people, as it's something a lot of us can relate to. Thank you for the review!

 **Rose C.M. Brady:** Aw, thanks! That really means a lot to me. Thank you for the review!

 **TheGameNguyener:** Thank you. And the fire and lightning powers will definitely come into play in later chapters as well. Thank you for the review!

 **FireflyOrb:** Honestly, I had so many imaginary friends that it would take way too long to list them all. And no, I didn't want to take away the mystique of who their parents actually are, thus they're just kinda... there. I guess the best comparison would be to the adults on Charlie Brown. Thank you for the review!

 **thatpunnygirl:** Aw, thank you! And no, the truth won't be revealed to them quite yet. Thank you for the review!

* * *

 **AN: I'm so sorry I haven't updated this since July. My other story became my top priority, and I know that's no excuse. I'll try not to let this happen again.  
**

 **And yes, this is something I did as a child. The only difference was that I never got caught.**

 **~Steel**


	4. Age Eight: Bullies

_~Age Eight: Bullies~_

They were different from the other students in their school.

Mario began to realize this as he observed the rest of the class as he was at the front of the room for show and tell. As he held up the book with the cartoon dragon on it and explained what it was about, his gaze fell over every one of his peers, realizing that Luigi stood out from the Mii's and humans. Meaning he did too.

Because they looked so different the other students began to pick up on this fact as well, and slowly began to isolate them from their friend groups. Soon enough Mario and Luigi were alone on the playground during recess and lunch, gazing sadly at the groups of students playing soccer and hopscotch wishing they could join them. But anytime they tried, they were ignored or flat out told to go away.

"What's wrong with us?" Luigi questioned Mario one recess after they'd unsuccessfully tried to join a game of basketball.

"I dunno Weeg," Mario sighed. "I guess we're different enough that no one wants to be friends with us."

/~/

"Leave him alone!"

The boy with the red mohawk turned towards Mario, forgetting about Luigi in the process who managed to sneak away and stand next to his brother.

"Aw, does the baby need a bodyguard now?" the boy taunted, Mario scowling and staring the bully down.

"He's not a baby!" Mario defended.

"Then why's he crying like one?" the bully sneered, Mario turning and noticing that Luigi did indeed have tears in his eyes.

"Aw Weeg, don't cry." Mario gently comforted his brother, which only gave the bully more ammunition.

"Do you need your mommy to wipe your tears away for you?"

 _"Enough!"_ Mario yelled, his hands clenching into fists.

"Or what? You're gonna tell the principal or your mommy and daddy? If you do, I'll make sure to catch you after school." the bully cracked his knuckles and punched his hand, both Mario and Luigi flinching. "Got it?"

 _"Sì."_ the brothers said in unison. The bully quirked an eyebrow.

"What was that? Try speaking in English!"

"Yes." Mario mumbled, the bully snickering.

"Good. I'll see you losers tomorrow."

The bully took off down the hall while Mario and Luigi sighed in relief, glad to finally get some peace.

"That guy's a jerk."

The brothers turned to see Spark had materialized; leaning against the wall with his arms folded, staring after the bully in disgust. "You two should really tell someone about him."

"We can't." Luigi murmured sadly. "Otherwise he'll beat us up."

"Empty threat." Spark pointed out. "'Cause if you've already told someone about him, he wouldn't dare beat you up 'cause he knows that you'll just tell again."

"But then we'll be known as the tattletales." Mario sighed. "And nobody wants to be friends with a tattletale."

Spark groaned, throwing his hands up into the air. "Then I dunno what to tell ya. I'd tell your folks just to be on the safe side though."

With that Spark dematerialized, leaving the brothers alone in the empty hallway again. The final bell had already rung twenty minutes ago and they needed to start walking home otherwise their mom would begin to worry.

"There you two are!" their mother exclaimed when they'd finally made it home, looking up from the lettuce she was washing. "I was beginning to worry. How was your day at school?"

"Fine." Mario mumbled, as he and Luigi headed to their room, shutting the door behind them. Their mother frowned and abandoned her work station, wandering to their door and knocking a few times.

"Mario? Luigi? Are you two alright?"

When she didn't receive an answer right away she turned the doorknob and opened the door, finding her sons already starting on their homework. They both jumped at their mothers intrusion, and she noticed how both of them looked incredibly down.

"What's the matter?"

Mario hesitated, exchanging a glance with his brother. The bully had threatened them if they ever told anyone, but here was their mother, clearly concerned about her sons. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Spark had reappeared again, silently giving Mario the courage he needed to tell his mother what was happening at school. He nodded towards Luigi before taking a deep breath and looking his mother in the eye.

"We're being picked on at school."

Dread filled their mothers chest as she sat down at the edge of Luigi's mattress. "You're being bullied?"

"Uh-huh." Luigi confirmed.

"What are they saying?"

"They're picking on us 'cause we look different than everyone else," Mario began, their mothers throat tightening at that statement. "And they make fun of us 'cause we speak Italian sometimes, and also 'cause we're kinda chubby."

"Oh sweetie," their mother started quietly, her voice trembling. "I'm so sorry."

"Why do we look so different than everyone else, Mama?" Luigi questioned.

Their mother bit her lower lip, wondering if it was time to come clean to her twins about their origins and how they were born in another world. But that would just lead to questions about why they left in the first place, and then she'd need to explain how they were caught in a terrible war...

No. They needed to be older to fully comprehend the story. "I don't know, sweetie," she answered Luigi's question, inwardly cringing at having to lie to her sons. "But I do know one thing."

She motioned both of her sons over to her, and hugging both of them continued, "You are loved in this household, alright? And if anyone ever tries to bully you again, you just tell me and your father and I will take care of it."

"But the bully said he'd beat us up if we told anyone." Mario mumbled.

"Is that so? Well maybe I'll just have a talk with his parents then."

Mario managed to crack a smile at that statement, and after a moment Luigi did as well. After a few moments of holding her sons in comfort their mother stood.

"Now, I need to go back to making supper. You two start on your homework, okay?"

After receiving nods from her sons, their mother exited the room and shut the door behind her, her face crumpling the moment she stepped into the hall.

"We didn't want this for you..." she whispered to herself as she headed back to the kitchen. "But one day you'll understand why we kept things secret from you."

* * *

 _ **Replies**_

 **TheGameNguyener:** Well, I was sort of hoping to invoke nostalgia with some of this story, so I'm glad it's working! Thank you for the review!

 **Guest:** I 100% agree. I miss those days too. Thank you for the review!

 **Anonymous Girl Gamer:** I've found for this collection that it's easier to write from experience, and I'm pretty sure that most of us had similar experiences. Thank you for the review!

* * *

 **AN: I'm sorry. That's all I can really say here is that I'm sorry I once again let the schedule for this story slip. As it turns out, having two multi-chaptered fics running at the same time isn't a good idea for me as one takes priority over the other. But thankfully that fic is almost finished, and I can focus all of my energy into this one. The recent release of _Odyssey_ sort of helped get me back into the mindset of this fic as well. So anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and I'll see you hopefully in the near future for the next one. **

**~Steel**


	5. Age Nine: Hospital Visit

_~Age Nine: Hospital Visit~  
_

Luigi knew something was off with his brother the moment they began walking home from school. Normally the two of them would discuss their day thanks to them being in different classes, what homework they had and what they had learned that day, but Mario was oddly silent. In fact, Mario was walking slower than usual and wincing in pain every few seconds, much to the concern of his younger twin.

"Are you okay, bro?" Luigi questioned, Mario weakly nodding.

"I'm fine Weeg... just got a stomachache, that's all."

Luigi frowned, but didn't question Mario further as they continued their walk home. By the time they reached their house Mario looked considerably pale, and gasped for air as Luigi unlocked the door.

"Mama! We're home!" Luigi called out as he and Mario stepped into the house, closing and locking the door behind them. Mario groaned in pain, before beginning to retreat to their room.

"Mario? Are you alright?" their mother questioned, wandering in from the kitchen and wiping her hands on her apron. When she didn't receive a responce from him, she turned to Luigi. "Is he alright?"

"He said something about a stomachache." Luigi answered, their mother frowning in concern.

"When did that start?"

"When we began walking home from school."

"Well, keep an eye on him, and I'll finish getting dinner ready. Start on your homework too."

 _"Sì_ , Mama." Luigi replied, wandering down the hall to his and his brothers room and opening the door, finding Mario curled on the lower bunk bed clutching his side and whimpering in pain.

"Bro? You okay?" Luigi questioned in concern, Mario listlessly raising his head and staring down at his brother.

 _"Mal di stomacho..."_ Mario mumbled, raising more red flags in Luigi's mind as his brother was in so much pain he couldn't speak in English. Wasting no time he rushed into the kitchen to get his mother.

"Mama!"

"Luigi?" their mother put down the tomatoes she was slicing. "What is it dear, what's wrong?"

"I-It's Mario... he-he's not doing well at all!" Luigi stuttered, their mother immediately rushing to her other son.

"Mario, sweetie, what's the matter?" their mother asked worriedly, pushing Mario's bangs aside in order to feel his forehead and gasping. "A fever..." her eyes fell to where Mario was clutching his side, and her face drained of all colour.

"Mama?" Luigi mumbled in concern as he watched his mother pick up his older twin and motion towards the door.

"Luigi, grab your coat and leave a note for your father please. Tell him we're going to the hospital."

"The hospital?!" Luigi cried out in alarm, grabbing his jacket and grabbing a scrap of paper, hurriedly jotting a note down on it and setting it next to the door. "Why Mama, what's wrong with Mario?"

"From the symptoms he's displaying, it may very well be appendicitis." their mother responded, grabbing her car keys. "We need to get to the hospital right away, before it becomes even more serious."

/~/

Luigi wasn't sure how to feel as he slouched in a chair in the waiting room. All he knew was that his brother was in an operating room somewhere, their mother was in the chair next to him stroking his hair in an attempt at comfort, and he himself felt numb, like all the life had been sucked from him leaving nothing but an empty husk behind.

He heard his mother gasp, and he looked up to see his father had entered the waiting room. Wasting no time she sprung from her seat and ran into her husband's arms, finally allowing herself to cry as he gently stroked her hair and murmured that everything was going to be alright.

After a few moments they took their seats next to Luigi, his father giving him a hug before returning to comforting his wife. Meanwhile Luigi stared anxiously at the clock, watching the minutes tick by. Minutes that he didn't know what was happening to his brother.

After what seemed like an eternity, a doctor finally entered the waiting room area, glancing around before approaching them.

"Family of Mario Mario?" he asked, all three of them standing and staring at the doctor anxiously.

"Yes, that's us." Luigi's father replied, nervously squeezing his wife's hand.

"The operation went well, and your son is going to be just fine. He's asleep right now, but two of you can go visit if you like."

"Two and a half?" Luigi's mother bargained, motioning towards her son. While the doctor looked reluctant at first, he eventually nodded.

"I suppose that would be alright."

Together, the family followed the doctor into a room down the hall where Mario lay in a hospital bed, eyes closed seemingly in a deep sleep.

"He had woken up a bit earlier from the sedation, and we're going to have to keep him here for about a day or so to make sure that everything is back to normal."

"Alright," their mother whispered with teary eyes, sitting in one of the chairs next to the hospital bed and clasping her hand in her son's. A moment later her husband joined her and sat in the seat next to her.

Luigi meanwhile stood closer to the door, staring at his brother with tears in his eyes. Even though he could see his chest rising and falling with each breath he took, he was eerily still. Unnerved, he took a cautious step forward, when he heard something echo in his mind.

 _"I'm okay, Weeg."_

Mario. That was distinctly Mario's voice, though his brother was still asleep in his hospital bed, and he was clearly the only one who had heard it since his parents hadn't said anything about it. Bewildered, Luigi took a few more steps forward until he was next to his brother.

 _"I'm going to be just fine. Please don't worry."_

While Luigi was confused about how this was happening, hearing his brother's voice helped put him at ease. Relaxing, he allowed himself to smile for the first time in several hours.

"Okay."

* * *

 _ **Replies**_

 **TheGameNguyener:** You're very lucky if you weren't picked on that often. I was one of the unfortunate ones that seemingly got bullied simply for existing, and things that people said to me over a decade ago still sting to this day. You mentioned a song in your review, and the song that's been helping me is _Invisible_ by _Hunter Hayes._ And while the song came out after I wasn't in that environment anymore, it's helped to slowly heal the wounds and bring my confidence back. Thank you for the review.

 **Anonymous Girl Gamer:** Yeah, I promised I'd get into more serious topics, and that was the first I decided to tackle. It's an issue that needs to be addressed, and spoilers, it won't be the last time it shows up in this fic. Thank you for the review.

* * *

 **AN: And this is the first instance of Mario and Luigi's twin telepathy coming through. And while it may not always be accompanied by them talking in their thoughts, it will have a few more appearances in this fic.  
**

 **Anyway, thank you for reading, and I'll see you in the next one!**

 **~Steel**


	6. Age Ten: The Truth

**AN: Wait, what? It's an update, and it's only been less than a week since the last chapter?!  
**

 **What can I say, I was in a writing mood this week. So, enjoy!**

* * *

 _~Age Ten: The Truth~_

"Where do we even start?"

Mario glanced around his and his brothers shared room uncertainly, before shrugging. "I guess we both start at one end and meet in the middle?"

Since the brothers had recently celebrated their tenth birthday, they decided that they needed to get rid of any "kiddie things" lingering around their room. After all, they were "big kids" now. They needed to start acting like it.

"So we'll make two piles," Mario began. "One will be the things we want to keep in the attic, and the other will be things that we'll donate."

"Okay!" Luigi chirped, before opening the lid of their toybox and beginning to rummage through it. Meanwhile Mario took to their bookshelf, examining the titles and humming as he held up the book with the cartoon dragon on it.

"Hey Weeg, you think we should keep this one?"

"Hm?" Luigi glanced up from the toybox and gasped. "You can't get rid of that book! Mama used to read it to us every night!"

"Okay," Mario replied, placing the book back onto the shelf. "But we can't keep _everything._ We gotta get rid of some things!"

"Like this?" Luigi asked, holding up a stuffed bear.

"No, we can't get rid of Teddy! He's been with us through everything!"

The brothers just stared at each other for a moment, until Mario sighed.

"I guess this'll be harder than it looks..." he mumbled.

For the next half hour the brothers wandered around their small room, deciding what should stay and what should go. The finally managed to make two decently sized piles on their floor, and satisfied Mario went to get a couple of bags to place everything in.

"You bag up the stuff to donate, and I'll go and get this stuff in the attic." Mario said, picking up the bag and going up the flight of stairs to the second floor, where there was a cord hanging from the ceiling. Pulling the cord the latch to the attic opened and the ladder slid out, Mario ascending the steps and stepping into the room.

He'd only been up into the attic once before, when his father needed help moving some old furniture. It hadn't changed since then, it was still dim, dusty and humid. Mario sneezed as he glanced around for a place to put the old toys and books. He finally found a suitable place and went to leave before he knocked a cardboard box full of pictures over, and gasping went to place them back in the box before noticing what the pictures were of.

They were very clearly baby pictures of him and Luigi, something that he'd strangely never seen before. But it was the other person in the photos that caught his attention. Someone blonde wearing a crown much too big for her head.

Mario flipped the photo over and found his mother had written on the back, _'Mario and Luigi, age 2 with Princess Peach Toadstool of the Mushroom Kingdom'._

 _'Who? And where?'_ Mario thought, flipping through more pictures and finding more of the strange girl. The strange girl who was apparently a princess. So he was acquainted with royalty at one point? And the Mushroom Kingdom? He'd never heard of that place before!

Without really thinking about it Mario grabbed the entire box and climbed down the steps again, making his way to his and his brothers room. "Weeg?"

"Yeah bro?" Luigi asked, tying off the bag and setting it aside in order to give his brother his full attention.

"Look at these photos I found in the attic," Mario started, handing Luigi a couple of them. "Do you have any idea where the Mushroom Kingdom is?"

"I've never heard of it," Luigi answered, cocking his head curiously. "And who's that girl with us?"

"Something's weird." Mario mumbled. "The only reason Mama and Papa would keep these photos from us is if they didn't want us to see them."

"But why?" Luigi questioned, Mario giving a tiny shrug in response.

"I dunno. But we're gonna find out."

/~/

"Mario! Luigi! We're home!"

The brothers tensed as their parents entered the house with an armful of grocery bags. When their mother caught sight of the box her sons had in front of them, she lightly gasped and placed the bags down, cautiously wandering over to the couch where they were seated and sinking down between them.

"So... you found those..."

"Why did you hide them from us, Mama?" Mario asked, aware that their father had joined them. Swallowing her nervousness their mother looked at their father before taking a photo out of the box and staring at in fondly.

"I guess it's time to come clean..." sighing, she took her sons in her arms. "You weren't born here on the planet Doppel. You were born in the Mushroom Kingdom on another planet."

Mario blinked, while Luigi followed with a confused, "What?" Their mother motioned towards their father who continued the story.

"It's the reason we all look so different from everyone else," he explained. "And unfortunately it's the reason you two are being bullied at school."

Luigi placed his palm to his forehead in an attempt to digest what his parents were telling him. Mario meanwhile lowered his eyes to the ground; he couldn't help but feel a bit betrayed by this revelation. "So why did we leave?" he questioned, a bitter edge to his tone.

"It wasn't safe there," their mother responded. "There were issues when the stork brought you two to us, and then you were caught up in a terrible war..."

"War?" Mario repeated skeptically. Their father nodded.

"Yes, you see that girl in the photo there? That's Princess Peach Toadstool of the Mushroom Kingdom. She was caught up in the war too."

"Were we friends with her?" Luigi asked.

 _"Sì_ , you were friends with her." their mother answered.

Luigi nodded, while Mario sprung from his seat, anger in his eyes. "Why would you do this to us?!"

"Mario, please calm down..." their mother tried, but Mario jerked away.

"No! Do you have any idea how bad the bullying at school has gotten? If we'd just stayed in the Mushroom Kingdom, we wouldn't have been bullied and at least we would have had a friend! And why were you keeping this from us?"

"We just wanted to keep you safe..." their mother whispered. "That's all we ever wanted in the end. And we were scared that if we stayed there, you'd wind up involved in another war or..." she choked back a sob. "O-or we'd lose you..."

Mario shifted uncomfortably, guilty that he'd made his mother cry but still keeping a frown on his face. Luigi meanwhile comforted his mother while their father let out a heavy sigh.

"Is there anything else we need to know?" Mario asked quietly, their mother and father exchanging a glance, both visibly tense at the question.

"No." their father finally answered stiffly. "That's everything."

While Mario had a hunch that no, that wasn't everything, he didn't question his father any further. He was having a hard time comprehending the story he'd just been told.

"We're sorry," their mother whispered. "We were going to tell you eventually. We didn't want you to find out like this."

Mario hummed in response, while Luigi stood and wandered over to his brother.

"Do you need to talk about anything else?" their mother asked softly.

"No," Mario responded. "I'm going to bed."

With that Mario began to head to his room, his brother following a moment later. Their mother buried her face in her hands, while her husband wrapped an arm around her and let out a heavy sigh.

"It'll be alright." he murmured.

"What about their powers?"

Their father paused before he replied, "So far, they haven't shown any signs of being able to use them. And if they do... we'll cross that bridge when we come to it."

* * *

 _ **Replies**_

 **Pikminfan:** Well thank you very much! Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **TheGameNguyener:** Yikes, I'm glad you're okay now! And thanks to my health issues I've been to the hospital many times in the past couple of years, but at least it gave me inspiration for a story, so that's something at least. Thank you for the review!

 **The Anonymous:** I don't take requests, sorry, but I'm glad you like the story! Thank you for the review!

 **Anonymous Girl Gamer:** Oh no, I didn't mean to scare people, I'm sorry! But yeah, I hope the way I use telepathy in the future will be interesting to you readers. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Mariogeek:** Timely manner... ha.. ha... *nervously shifts* Well, I try. I can't always guarantee a weekly update, but I do shoot for monthly. I'm glad you've been enjoying the story, thank you for the review!

* * *

 **AN: And the truth has been revealed! Well, some of it. The brothers still don't know about their powers yet. When will they learn? Wait and see...  
**

 **Anyway, thank you guys so much for the positive feedback. I'll see you in the next one. :)**

 **~Steel**


	7. Age Eleven: New Friend

_~Age Eleven: New Friend~_

Mario took a deep breath as he stared up at the much larger school building in front of him. Luigi nervously shook next to him and adjusted the straps on his backpack.

"I'm not ready." Mario blurted, looking towards his brother in panic. "I was ready last night, but I'm not ready now. This is a new, bigger school. What if we get lost?"

"Don't say that!" Luigi cried out in panic. "Otherwise we will get lost!"

The brothers stared up at the building again, then looked around the surrounding courtyard at all the other students. Right now only the sixth graders were attending class in order for them to get used to the new school, but after that they'd be surrounded by seventh and eighth graders.

The doors of the school opened and the principal wandered out, welcoming the new students before ushering them into the building and leading them to the gymnasium.

It was time to meet the teachers.

/~/

Mario sighed as he walked single-file down the hallway with the rest of his new classmates, some of who he recognized from elementary school and others who were new faces. He'd really wished that Luigi would be in class with him, but they'd been separated from each other once again. At least they'd still be able to see each other during lunch.

His classroom was on the second floor, and the teacher instructed them to stand off to the side as she had a seating arrangement already decided. Mario was called over to a set of desks by the window overlooking the parking lot, which he didn't mind. At least he'd have something to look at if he ever got bored.

"Pauline, you'll sit next to Mario."

Mario turned towards the teacher at the sound of his name, and found a girl with dark hair wearing a red turtleneck sweater was making her way over. She shyly smiled as she took her seat next to Mario, showing her braces.

"Hi." she quietly greeted.

"Um... hi." Mario replied, realizing he didn't recognize her from elementary school.

"So... your name is Mario?" Pauline asked. "That's Italian, right?"

"Um... yeah."

Pauline's eyes lit up. "So, does that mean that you actually know how to speak Italian?"

 _"Sì."_ Mario confirmed with a bit of a smile.

"That's so neat, you're so lucky to be able to speak two languages! I'm so jealous!"

The teacher cleared her throat, and both Mario and Pauline snapped to attention and sheepishly smiled as the teacher gave them a stern look before continuing with her speech. Even still, they gave each other a side glance and shyly giggled.

Maybe sixth grade wouldn't be that bad after all.

/~/

Lunch came faster than expected, and Mario immediately made his way to the cafeteria in order to search for his brother. He found him at a table near the back of the room by himself, and Mario slid into the seat next to him. As they conversed about their teachers and classmates, Mario spied Pauline standing in the middle of the cafeteria, looking lost on where to go. When their eyes met over the bustle of the cafeteria, Mario waved her over much to the panic of Luigi.

"W-What are you doing?"

"She sits next to me in class. She's really nice."

"She is?"

"Yeah, I'm sure you'll like her."

Luigi looked skeptical as Pauline nervously made her way over, awkwardly shuffling into a seat before smiling gratefully at Mario. "Thank you, I felt a bit lost over where to go. I don't know anyone here."

"That's okay!" Mario chirped. He gestured to Luigi. "This is my twin brother Luigi."

"Hi!" Pauline exclaimed, smiling. "I'm Pauline, it's nice to meet you."

"...Hi." Luigi mumbled, going back to his food. Pauline frowned, turning towards Mario.

"He's a bit shy." Mario clarified, Pauline nodding her head in understanding.

"I know that feeling," Pauline giggled. A bout of silence passed before Pauline grinned, looking up at the two brothers. "So what cartoons do you two watch?"

"You watch cartoons?" Mario asked a bit too excitedly, while Pauline nodded.

"Yeah, I like the one that takes place underwater."

"That's our favourite!" Luigi piped up, startling both Mario and Pauline. "What did you think of the latest episode?"

"It was so funny!"

For the rest of the lunch hour, the three discussed cartoons, classes, and what they all wanted to be when they grew up (doctors for Mario and Luigi, and Pauline wanted to be a mayor). As they conversed, Mario glanced around the table, allowing himself to smile.

He was certain now - sixth grade would be a good year after all.

* * *

 _ **Replies**_

 **Mariogeek:** Tell me about it, I'm such a sentimental person and have such a hard time getting rid of anything that held significance to me. Thank you for the review!

 **Anonymous Girl Gamer:** Yeah, I think Mario's reaction was justified as well. No one wants to learn that their parents have been keeping secrets from them. Thank you for the review!

 **TheGameNguyener:** Yoshi's Island, it's sequels, and Partners in Time were all influences to their parents regarding the move. Thank you for the review!

 **Pikminfan:** Aw, thanks so much! Thank you for the review!

* * *

 **AN: This will most likely be the last update I post this year, as the holiday's are coming up and I also have a hospital visit next week. So I'd like to take the time here and thank each and every one of you for reading. Whether you've only read this story of mine or all of them, every comment, favourite, follow and view means everything to me. It's safe to say that I'm becoming a more confident person, and I only have you guys to thank. I'm so grateful that I seem to have found a place where it feels like I belong. And if I seem weirdly optimistic right now, it's because my favourite band got back together and it's helped to purge some of the negativity from me. :)  
**

 **Anyway, that's enough of me rambling. I hope you all have a happy and safe holiday, and I'll see you all in 2018! Thank you again! (And yes I added Pauline to the character tag. She'll be important from now on)  
**

 **~Steel**


	8. Age Twelve: True Friendship

**AN: Well... I guess _Over_ really WASN'T the last thing I would be posting before the New Year. I got this chapter done earlier than expected, so I guess that's one good thing that came out of recovering from minor surgery. But anyway, on with the chapter!  
**

* * *

 _~Age Twelve: True Friendship~_

Aside from the sound of pencils on paper and the rubbing of erasers, the classroom was silent. Mario frowned down at his math sheet, tilting his head to the side as he punched numbers into his calculator. From the corner of his eye he saw Pauline chewing the eraser of her pencil - a bad habit of hers. He could also see a note being passed around the room thanks to the teacher being absent from the classroom at the moment.

So basically, a typical seventh grade school day. Thinking nothing more of it he went back to his work, sighing as he moved on to a division question. As he scrawled out the question on his paper ("Show your work!" his teacher always squawked) he heard Pauline gasp, and a second later yell out, "Mario, you better take a look at this!"

He heard several students groan as Mario got up from his seat and wander over to Pauline's where she was holding a note in her hand, giving her classmates what could only be called a death stare. Mario realized it was the note that was being passed around earlier, and curiously looked at it's contents, only to feel like being violently ill.

 _Sign here if you hate Mario and Luigi._

Mario blinked back tears as his eyes scanned over the note, realizing that every single person in the class had signed it before it had reached Pauline. Sadness morphed into anger as he thought about his brother, not even in this class in the first place. Attack himself, sure, but his brother who wasn't even here to defend himself?!

He was barely aware that the teacher had wandered back into class at some point and that Pauline had showed her the note, and even though he could hear the teacher chewing out the students for their horrible behavior the ringing in his ears was louder. Without another word he bolted from the classroom, not caring if he was going to get in trouble or not. He needed to get out of there.

/~/

Mario splashed cold water on his arms and face before sighing as he sadly gazed at his reflection in the mirror; not quite recognizing the person that stared back at him. He was shaking violently, his blood boiling in his veins. Quite literally actually, he was sweating and the cold water had done nothing to remedy that. It felt like something was yearning to escape, waiting for the perfect moment to claw it's way out...

 _'I need to calm down.'_

Taking several deep breaths Mario sunk to the floor of the bathroom, not exactly caring in that moment if the floor was dirty or not. He dropped his head in his hands before gripping his hair, anger flaring back up again.

"What's wrong with you?" he venomously spat at himself.

He jumped slightly as the bell rang - it was lunchtime. He could hear the clanging of locker doors and chatter of students, but didn't move from his spot. He'd chosen this bathroom for a reason - it wasn't used very often thanks to it being somewhat out of the way. Which is why he jumped a moment later when the door swung open, only to relax when his brother wandered in.

"There you are," Luigi said, relieved. "Pauline told me what happened."

"They _hate_ us." Mario whispered. "All of them. They absolutely _hate_ us."

"Pauline doesn't." Luigi pointed out, to which Mario frowned.

"But how long until she hates us too?"

Luigi was quiet for a moment, before he stood and wandered to the door, pushing it open. "Do you mind coming in here for a moment?"

"I _can't!"_ a hushed, panicked female voice answered, and Mario's head snapped up, seeing Pauline standing just outside the door. "I'll get in trouble if I go in there!"

"We'll make up an excuse!" Luigi assured, before holding the door open, Pauline nervously glancing around to make sure no one was looking before awkwardly shuffling in, hugging her arms to her chest. Luigi let the door swing shut behind them, and Pauline frowned as she kneeled next to Mario.

"I was worried when you didn't come back to class..." she explained. "If it makes you feel any better, the teacher yelled at the class and the ones who signed their names are getting detention."

"None of that matters." Mario sighed. "They won't learn from it, they'll just continue to torment us. And now you're a target too because you're friends with us."

"I don't care," Pauline stated rather bluntly. "You two are my friends, and nothing is going to change that. I don't care if you're different, what matters is that you two are nice and if no one else can see that then they're just jerks!"

Luigi smiled before glancing down at his brother, who seemed lost in thought. Eventually though he smiled, having clearly taken Pauline's words to heart.

 _"Grazie."_ he whispered, Pauline beaming brightly.

"You're welcome!" she brightly chirped before standing and looking nervous again. "Can we leave the bathroom now?"

 _"Sì."_ Mario replied, standing as well as Luigi cracked the door open, peering outside and making sure no one was around.

"The coast is clear!" he yelled, Pauline immediately bolting out of the bathroom and getting a good distance away as Mario giggled at her antics.

"Are you feeling better now?" she asked as the three of them began to head down to the cafeteria. Mario smiled, glancing up at Pauline.

"Yeah actually, I am."

* * *

 ** _Replies_**

 **TheGameNguyener:** Heh, thanks so much! I still find it odd that I'm a motivator, but flattering all the same! Thank you for the review!

 **Anonymous Girl Gamer:** The doctor thing will be explained eventually. :) And I'm glad that people like Pauline's inclusion as well! Thank you for the review!

 **NormanWhitesmith:** Oh don't worry, their powers are coming! Thank you for the review!

* * *

 **AN: What I said last chapter still stands here - I thank you all once again for your support of me and my stories. Happy New Years Eve everyone, I hope you all have a great 2018. My resolution is to push myself to improve even more. I hope you all continue to enjoy this adventure with me. :)  
**

 **~Steel**


	9. Age Thirteen: Awakening

_~Age Thirteen: Awakening~_

This was a far too familiar situation. Gritting his teeth, Mario marched over to the bully harassing his brother, fire in his eyes as he harshly poked the bully in the shoulder. "That's _enough."_ he hissed, the bully snickering as he eyed Mario and crossed his arms.

"Oh really? And what are you gonna do about it? Oh that's right, _nothing."_ the bully smirked before swinging a punch at Mario, the force of the blow enough for Mario to tumble to the ground, groaning in pain.

"L-Leave him alone!" Luigi stuttered, though his voice lacked confidence and came out as more of a suggestion than a command. The bully scoffed, grabbing the lapels of Luigi's jacket and giving him a threatening glare.

"Do you wanna be next?" he murmured dangerously, Luigi whimpering as Mario shakily stood and stared the bully down, anger bubbling in his veins as he roughly shoved the bully away from his brother, allowing Luigi to put some distance between them.

"I said, _that's enough!"_ Mario yelled, while the bully just snickered and rolled his eyes.

"I'd like to see you try and stop me!"

Mario's hand clenched into a fist, and he felt his temperature rising as he trembled violently. He realized in a daze that it was exactly how he'd felt when he'd found out about the note being passed around the classroom. The bully took the silence for weakness however, and laughed as he punched his fist.

"Just like I thought - you don't have it in you to stop me. Because at the end of the day you're a _loser,_ and that's all you're ever going to be!"

 _"Shut up!"_

At the same time Mario screamed, he swiped his hand in front of him in defense... only for flames to erupt from his palm. The bully lept back in shock as did Mario and Luigi, the flames vanishing as quickly as they'd appeared.

"F-Freak!" the bully yelped, before spinning on his heel and running down the hall, leaving the two brothers standing in the hallway slightly mesmerized by what had just happened.

"Bro, what was that?" Luigi finally gasped, as Mario blinked and stared down at his palm.

"I-I dunno Weeg," Mario whispered. "But something tells me our parents didn't tell us the full story when we learned about our origins."

/~/

All the way home Mario and Luigi contemplated how exactly to bring up the topic with their parents. It's not like they could just walk in and go, "Hi Mom and Dad, we got bullied today at school, and for some reason flames shot out of Mario's hands. We're gonna go start on our homework now, bye!" It needed to be a serious discussion, and as Mario unlocked the front door of their house they both prepared themselves for the conversation they were about to have.

"Mama?" Mario called out as he and Luigi stepped into the house, shrugging off their backpacks and jackets. "We're home."

"Kitchen!" their mother yelled back, and Mario and Luigi gave each other a look as they wandered into the kitchen where their mother was standing at the counter reading a recipe; tomato stains on her apron.

"Good, you're home," she murmured. "I was thinking about trying a new sauce recipe tonight, how does tomato, basil, garlic and three cheese sound?"

"Mama, we need to talk to you about something." Luigi seriously stated, their mother tensing as she turned away from her recipe book in order to give her sons her full attention.

"What's on your mind?"

"We were being bullied today at school," Mario started, their mother wincing and closing her eyes in sadness. "And... when I went to defend myself... flames shot out of my hand."

' _Oh no...'_

"Why'd that happen, Mama?"

Their mother pulled out a chair from the table and sunk down in it, digesting what her sons had just told her. "So they did develop..." she murmured, confusing her sons even more. "Mario, Luigi, remember when your father and I told you that you weren't born here on this planet, and that you were born in the Mushroom Kingdom?"

"How could I forget?" Mario shot back, a bitter edge to his words.

"When the stork delivered you two, you both had stars above your head. There is a legend in the Mushroom Kingdom about seven Star Children who are blessed with powers and are said to be part of an unknown prophecy. Another Star Child was your friend, Princess Peach. And the only other one we knew of was..." she paused. "...Someone who wasn't very nice. Mario, you were blessed with the ability of fire, while Luigi was blessed with the power of lightning. It seems you boys were always somewhat aware of your powers, as you used to say they were your powers when you'd play with your imaginary friends. I suppose you've reached an age where your powers have matured for them to appear."

"So you lied to us. Again." Mario huffed, folding his arms and turning away from his mother.

"Believe me when I say I didn't want to." their mother tried, but Mario could only shake his head.

"Then why didn't you tell all of this to us earlier? Why did you wait so long to tell us about our origins and mystical powers?"

"Mario, relax." their mother said in a stern tone. "Now really think about it. Would you two have been able to comprehend any of this when you were children?"

Mario went quiet when he realized his mother was right, while Luigi shook his head. "You still could have given us some kind of warning." Mario pointed out.

"We both realize that, and we are sorry, but we just wanted to protect you." She paused for a moment before curiosity graced her features. "But how do you boys feel about having supernatural powers?"

"It was scary," Mario bluntly stated. "And I was called a freak. And now I'm worried that I'm going to burn down something if I get angry."

"And I don't even know how to use my powers," Luigi chimed in. "And if my power is lightning, that's really dangerous..."

"Indeed, both of your powers are dangerous, but I have full confidence that you won't abuse them in any way." With that being said, their mother let out a sigh, feeling a huge weight lift off her shoulders. "Do you two have any more questions?"

"Is that everything? No more surprises? We're not going to find out we're half lizard somewhere in the future?" Mario questioned.

"That's everything," their mother confirmed. "And it's a relief to be able to openly talk about it with you two."

"Then I have no more questions. I'm going to get started on my homework."

With that Mario left for his and Luigi's room while Luigi stayed with their mother, clearly having some questions of his own. Shutting the door behind him Mario tossed his backpack on the ground, but didn't go to get his books from it. Instead he climbed up the ladder to his top bunk and rested against the headboard, before lying his palm flat in front of him.

 _'How can I summon this without getting angry...?'_

Closing his eyes, Mario concentrated on making a flame appear in his palm, but each time he cracked an eye open nothing had happened.

Could it be possible that he could only access this power under extreme circumstances? That didn't seem right - there had to be some way to activate them. Frowning, Mario tried again, this time relaxing a bit more. He could feel his body rising in temperature, and he figured that was a good sign - he'd felt warm before the flames had appeared after all.

 _'Just a little more,'_ Mario thought. _'Just have... to focus...'_

And just as quickly as the warmth had spread through him, he went cold, and he opened his eyes in disappointment only to yelp in shock.

A tiny flame danced in the palm of his hand, and after a moment of being in a dazed stupor Mario quickly snapped back to focusing on the flame. He slowly rotated his hand, watching in awe as the flame moved with it. Lying his palm flat again, he concentrated on making the flame a bit bigger, but no matter how hard he tried the flame stayed tiny. No matter. He was sure he'd figure it out eventually. There was just one little problem though...

 _'How do I put it out?'_

* * *

 ** _Replies_**

 **NormanWhitesmith:** I can relate with pretty much all of what you said. Heck, last chapter was based off of something I went through. I'm sorry you had to go through school being bullied too. Thank you for the review. **  
**

 **TheGameNguyener:** Oh don't worry, there will be some romance between Mario and Pauline very soon. And I'm so looking forward to writing it. Thank you for the review!

 **YumaCDeSennMC:** Heh, thank you so much! And the doctor thing will be explained very soon! Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Anonymous Girl Gamer:** Yeah, the most important thing is that they're lucky enough to have a friend. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **GirlOnDarkerSide:** Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Mariogeek:** Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **felixthecat123:** I'm glad you like it so far! Thank you for the review!

* * *

 **AN: I'm apparently on a roll with writing things this weekend. I hope you guys liked this chapter, and I'll see you in the next one where the brothers start highschool! Should be pretty interesting...**

 **~Steel**


	10. Age Fourteen: Crush

_~Age Fourteen: Crush~_

"I thought I'd find you here."

Mario jumped at the sound of Pauline's voice, looking up from his book and into the eyes of his friend who giggled before sitting down next to him. "So what are you reading this time?"

Mario flashed the cover at Pauline, who quirked her eyebrow at the title. "A horror story? You actually managed to find a horror story in the library?"

Mario nodded, pointing to the shelf above him. "It was hidden between a couple of history books. I'm probably going to check it out when lunch is over."

Pauline nodded, before she frowned. "Mario... I've noticed that you've been spending a lot more time here in the library than with me or your brother. In fact, it kind of seems like you're trying to... avoid me." Mario tensed when Pauline said that, folding the corner of the page he was on and shutting the book.

"I'm not trying to avoid you," Mario carefully worded. "I'm just... busy with other things. This is the year when grades really start to matter, and if I'm going to be a doctor one day I really need to focus!"

"Oh trust me, I understand completely! If I want to be a mayor I have to focus my energy on schoolwork too. It's just that..." she trailed off, shaking her head. "Ah... nevermind. See you after school?"

Mario smiled. "Yeah, I'll see you after school!"

Pauline half-smiled, standing and awkwardly swinging her arms. "So... I guess I'll see you around then."

Mario watched Pauline leave the library before sighing and lowering his eyes to the cover of the book in his hands, trying to ignore the heat creeping into his face that definitely wasn't his powers activating.

/~/

Luigi frowned as he and Mario said their goodbyes to Pauline at the crosswalk, going their separate ways home. He noticed how his brother's face was tinted red, and slightly nervous asked, "Are your powers activating, bro?"

"What?" Mario quickly glanced around in order to make sure no one had heard Luigi's remark. "No, they're not," he whispered. "Why do you ask?"

"Your face - it's all red." Luigi noted, Mario shifting uncomfortably at that statement. "So I was just wondering if your powers are activating."

"N-No..." Mario stammered. "Bro... I like Pauline."

Luigi blinked. "I like her too, but that doesn't explain why your face is red."

"No, I _like her_ like her." Mario turned away, embarrassed, as Luigi processed the information for a minute before his eyes went wide with realization.

"Oh... is that why you've been avoiding her recently? Because you have a crush on her?"

Mario only nodded while Luigi turned back to look at the crosswalk where they'd parted ways with Pauline. "Well, I'm sure she's not too far away. Catch up with her and tell her!"

"What? No!" Mario cried, catching the attention of nearby pedestrians. "I can't do that, bro!" Mario hissed. "Everything would get all weird between us, and then we wouldn't be friends anymore and it would be awful."

"But... is it really any better to live with an unrequited crush? Who knows, maybe she likes you back!"

"Yeah right," Mario grumbled. "Because I'm totally the type of person people fall for. She'd _never_ like me that way."

"There's only one way to find out," Luigi persisted. "Valentine's Day is coming up after all... you could send her an anonymous one and see how she reacts to it."

"But then she won't know it's from me! She might think it's from someone else."

"True..." Luigi answered. "But then we'd know if she has a crush on anyone based on her reaction."

Mario blinked, thinking about his brother's proposition for a moment before nodding. "I guess that could work..." he mumbled. "I guess I can try it."

"That's the spirit!" Luigi chirped. Mario lightly chuckled, giving his brother an amused look.

" _Grazie,_ bro."

"No problem Mario!"

/~/

Mario was nervous. He kept looking at the clock only to see that a minute had passed since he'd last checked. Sighing he turned his attention back to the teacher who was writing notes on the board, realizing that he'd missed an entire section thanks to how distracted he was.

The valentine's were being delivered during this period, and he was wondering how Pauline would react when she received hers. Would she be happy? Curious? The fact that he didn't know was driving him insane, and the butterflies in his stomach were making him a bit nauseous.

After what felt like an eternity the bell for lunch finally rang and Mario took a shaky breath as he gathered his books and began to head to the cafeteria, where he was going to meet his brother and Pauline. Upon entering the cafeteria he spied his brother sitting at a table near the back of the room, and he quickly approached him and took his seat next to him.

"I've been nervous all day." he whispered, while Luigi nodded.

"I know, I've been able to sense it," he replied. "And also, your face is red again."

"Great." Mario muttered, resting his cheek on the tabletop. Luigi patted his brother on the back before looking up and poking Mario in the arm.

"Showtime, bro. Here she comes."

Mario shot straight up in his seat as Pauline wandered over, looking troubled. In her hands she held a red valentine that a lot of other students had with them, and sitting down she lay it out in front of her on the table.

"Someone sent you a valentine?" Luigi asked innocently, while Pauline slowly nodded.

"Yeah..."

"Who's it from?" Luigi pressed, while Pauline shrugged.

"I don't know, it's anonymous. Which means it could be literally anyone. It could be someone in this room right now!" She nervously turned her head towards the other tables, before letting her hair fall over her face; shielding her from the bustle of the cafeteria.

Mario suddenly felt really guilty. Maybe he shouldn't have sent Pauline that valentine, she was obviously uncomfortable about it. Maybe she didn't have a crush on anyone. Should he tell her? What should he do?

Luigi felt his brother's discomfort and glanced over, worry on his face. "Bro?"

"Mario? Are you alright?" Pauline questioned, valentine forgotten about as she reached out across the table to touch his hand.

Big mistake. Mario jerked his hand away like it was on fire (which was probably his powers activating in hindsight) and stood, nervously tugging the cuffs of his hoodie. "I need to go." he blurted before darting from the cafeteria, leaving Luigi and Pauline confused about what had just happened.

/~/

Mario had headed outside into the field to calm down, ripping handfuls of grass out of the ground as he tried to organize his jumbled thoughts. It was to the point that he barely noticed when someone sat down beside him, though when he did notice he gulped at who it was.

"You're the one who sent me that valentine, aren't you?" Pauline asked, and after a moment of silence Mario eventually nodded. "So... you like me as more than just a friend?" she continued, Mario nodding once again. When she didn't say anything after that Mario braved a peek at her face, only to find her blushing.

"The truth is... I like you as more than just a friend too." she quietly admitted, before hiding her face behind her hair again.

Wait... _what?_ "But... you seemed so upset when you got the valentine..." Mario pointed out, to which Pauline shyly giggled.

"Well, I thought it was from someone else. And I didn't want it to be from someone else, I wanted it to be from you, but I thought you'd be way too shy to do something like that."

"So... you're not upset anymore?" Mario asked, to which Pauline shook her head and turned to Mario, a bright smile on her face.

"Not in the slightest. And yes Mario, I'll be your valentine." Pauline then frowned, looking thoughtful. "Is that why you've been avoiding me recently?"

"Pretty much." Mario nervously laughed. Pauline giggled, playfully shoving Mario's shoulder.

"You dork! I thought you didn't like me anymore!"

Mario chuckled, before both he and Pauline seemed to realize how close their faces were to each other. There was a tense moment where the two just stared at each other, slowly leaning in closer...

An irritating buzz came from the school, signalling lunch was over and breaking the spell. Both Mario and Pauline shot up and put some distance between them, both their faces red.

"I have to get to class." Mario blurted.

"Me too."

"So, um, I'll see you after school then?"

"You bet!" Pauline smiled, before darting into the school building leaving Mario in the field. After a moment of recollecting himself, he headed towards the school building too with only one thing on is mind.

 _'That went better than I hoped!'_

* * *

 ** _Replies_**

 **TheGameNguyener:** Yeah, it would be bad if their powers accidentally flared and something bad happened. I guess we'll just have to see! Thank you for the review!

 **Mariogeek:** Well, I hope you enjoy what's to come! Thank you for the review!

 **GirlOnDarkerSide:** Who knows what other surprises high school will bring? Thank you for the review!

 **Guest:** I hope so too, that would be terrible! Thank you for the review!

 **NormanWhitesmith:** Oh my... well, I guess we'll just have to see if a loss of power happens! Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Anonymous Girl Gamer:** And I hope that you enjoy what's to come as well! Thank you for the review!

* * *

 **AN: Look guys, it's a lighthearted chapter! I still know how to write those I think! But anyway, I hope you guys liked this one, I did struggle a bit writing it but I also had a really fun time writing it as well. I'll see you all in the next one.**

 **~Steel**


	11. Age Fifteen: Distractions

_~Age Fifteen: Distractions~ _

It was official - Mario hated math. He groaned as he frowned at his textbook before sighing and dropping his face to the table, amusing Pauline who was next to him.

"These questions make no sense," Mario complained, voice muffled by the table beneath him. "Just give me an equation, don't start throwing things in about how many apples Billy is buying, or how many oranges Sally has in her fridge. Because then I start thinking about how stupid these questions are and how weird these peoples lives are!"

"Like how they buy an unnatural amount of fruit at the grocery store?" Pauline questioned, turning her attention away from her science homework.

"Exactly." Mario muttered. He stood, looking at Pauline in curiosity. "Didn't your mom leave cookies for us in the kitchen?"

"She did." Pauline confirmed, Mario brightening as he headed towards the door.

"Want me to bring the entire plate in?" he asked.

"Yes please!"

Mario wasted no time making a beeline for the kitchen, spying the chocolate chip cookies on the counter and grabbing the plate, bringing it back into the room he and Pauline were studying in. Pauline meanwhile had turned on the small stereo, turning the dial to flick through the stations.

"The silence is beginning to grind on my nerves," she explained as she found a jazz station - her favourite type of music. She returned to the desk and thanked Mario as he handed her a cookie, before he wrapped a couple of them in a paper towel.

"Since Weeg is sick, I may as well bring him a couple." Mario explained. Pauline grinned as she turned her eyes towards her homework again, nibbling on the cookie.

"That's nice of you." she replied, lapsing into silence once again as she concentrated on the questions. Mario followed suit, and soon enough the only sounds in the room was the crunching of cookies and the faint music coming from the radio.

"Did I ever tell you why I wanted to be a doctor?" Mario suddenly asked, Pauline jumping slightly thanks to the peace being disturbed. Turning towards Mario, she quirked an eyebrow.

"I think you did at one point, but I can't remember right now."

"Well, remember how I showed you my scar from when I had appendicitis?" Mario explained. When Pauline nodded in confirmation, Mario continued. "Well, even though I was in a lot of pain, I was still interested in what they were doing, and afterwards I researched what an appendix was since I was curious. It stemmed from that, and I like helping people. And Weeg wants to be a doctor because he never wants to see anyone he cares about in pain ever again."

"Wow," Pauline breathed. "That's awesome!"

"And you want to be a mayor because you want to make a change in the world, right?" Mario asked, while Pauline nodded.

"Yeah... but I had contemplated a singer at one point as well."

Mario cocked his head in curiosity. "Really? Are you a good singer?"

"According to my parents I am. But I..." she paused, blushing in embarrassment. "I've got a bit of stage fright. I don't like singing in front of others. Not even in front of my parents anymore." She took the last bite of her cookie and reached for another.

"So... I suppose you wouldn't be comfortable singing in front of me then?" Mario asked, Pauline nearly choking on her cookie at the question.

"Oh... uh..."

"You don't have to if you're not comfortable!" Mario cried, putting his hands out in front of him a comical fashion. "I just... didn't know you sang, that's all."

Pauline hesitated, before taking a deep breath. "I'll sing on one condition."

"Shoot."

"You have to look away while I sing. Otherwise I'll clam up."

Mario nodded, and turned to face the wall. Pauline turned the radio down, and after a few moments of hearing her breathing to calm herself down and feeling really guilty about it, she began to sing.

Yes, her voice was shaky, unsure, and she was a bit quiet, but Mario realized her parents had been right, she _was_ a great singer. When she'd finished singing Mario turned back towards her, noticing how her face was a deep shade of crimson and she was averting eye contact.

"That was amazing Pauline!" Mario complimented. Pauline's eyes met Mario's, a glimmer of hope shining in them.

"R-Really?" she stammered.

"I wouldn't lie to you. Well, I don't lie to anyone, but especially not you!" Mario assured.

"Well, thank you..." Pauline murmured with a giggle in her voice.

 _"Prego,"_ Mario replied, before he turned his attention back to his homework and sighed. "But I guess enough distractions. We better get to finishing our homework."

* * *

 ** _Replies_**

 **TheGameNguyener:** For the record, that's not pathetic in the slightest. And I know what it's like to be an introvert. But off topic, I'm glad you liked the chapter! Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Anonymous Girl Gamer:** Mario's behavior was actually based on my own, right down to the valentine. Except it actually worked in Mario's favor, not so much in my case. Thank you for the review!

 **GirlOnDarkerSide:** Well, Mario and Pauline were a canon couple so I needed them together, and Peach actually won't be making a physical appearance in this story. But I'm glad you like the story, thank you for the review! **  
**

 **NormanWhitesmith:** I don't know if you've seen the Valentine's episode of Spongebob, but me on Valentine's Day is like Patrick in that episode. So I feel the same way about Valentine's Day too. But anyway, off topic again. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Guest:** Heh, thanks! Thank you for the review!

 **Mariogeek:** Thank you for the review!

 **Mitha Sentro:** I'm glad you like their characterizations! (I was a bit worried about how I was portraying them) I dunno, I just feel like Mario would have been a bit on the shy side when he was younger. Thank you for the review!


	12. Age Sixteen: Second Awakening

_~Age Sixteen: Second Awakening~  
_

"Okay Weeg, this is the day we're getting your powers to activate!"

Luigi eyed his brother, skepticism in his eyes. "You've been saying that for months, and every time we try nothing happens. I'm beginning to think I don't have any sort of special power after all. Maybe you got all the special powers after all."

"You can't think like that Weeg!" Mario protested, trying to be the optimist in this situation. "Now, when I activate my powers, all I do is think about summoning a flame in the palm of my hand. Like so." Closing his eyes, Mario held his palm out and concentrated. A moment later a flame appeared in his hand, and Mario opened his eyes, smiling. "Now, I just concentrate on making the flame bigger or smaller-" Another demonstration of his power. "-and now see that soda can over there?"

Luigi looked over at the can Mario had balanced above the kiddie pool he'd dragged out. He nodded.

"Well, I just concentrate on that..." Mario began, holding out one of his hands. As if on cue, the flame in his hand formed a fireball and with a flick of his wrist it was hurdling towards the can, the can bursting into flames before it fell into the pool below, a sizzling sound heard as the flames extinguished.

"Wow..." Luigi breathed. "You really think I can do something that like?"

"I don't think, I know!" Mario stated. "Now, my powers activated through anger. But maybe we can get your powers to activate without an emotional response."

"I guess we can try..." Luigi mumbled. "Mama said I had the power of lightning. So what could possibly get me to tap into the power?"

"Hm," Mario pondered on the question for a moment, thinking. "Just close your eyes and concentrate. When my powers are activating my skin starts to burn, so you should feel something similar to an electric current."

"That sounds unpleasant." Luigi whimpered. Mario gave his brother a reassuring smile.

"It should be fine! Just close your eyes and concentrate."

Taking a deep breath, Luigi closed his eyes and held out his palm, focusing on channeling something, _anything,_ into power. After a moment of feeling nothing, he sighed and let his arm fall limply to his side. "I can't do it." he muttered bitterly.

Mario sympathetically patted his brother on the arm. "I'm sure you'll get it eventually Weeg," he comforted. "Something just needs to trigger."

"Stop it."

Mario tilted his head. "Stop what?"

"Stop trying to make me feel better! I know I'm not as good as you."

Mario blinked. "Weeg, that's not true."

"But it is," Luigi fought back. "You figured out how to use your power first, our grades indicate that you're smarter than me, and you even have a girlfriend! I... I feel like sometimes you don't deserve me as a brother."

Mario's heart began to pound with worry. "Weeg... no. _Ti voglio bene, fratello."_

Luigi sadly gazed at Mario. "Do you really mean that?"

 _"Si."_ Mario whispered, wasting no time pulling his brother into a comforting hug. Tears threatened to fall from Luigi's eyes, but he didn't want to cry in front of his brother.

After a moment they broke, and Mario gasped. "Weeg, look... your hand."

Luigi lowered his gaze only to find tiny sparks dancing around his fingertips, gasping as he realized...

"M-My power..."

"Okay, just stay calm!" Mario instructed, going back to teacher mode. "Um, so first you need to focus on what you're feeling right now. What are you feeling right now?"

"My arms are tingling, kind of like what you said about an electric current."

"That's good!" Mario exclaimed. "Now, I couldn't do this at first, but see if you can focus on forming a ball of electricity. Basically, all you have to do is turn your thoughts into power."

"Thoughts into power," Luigi repeated, squeezing is eyes shut. "Thoughts into power..."

Mario gasped, watching with wide eyes as the electricity in Luigi's hand increased in intensity, to the point that his hair started standing on end. "Whoa..."

Just as fast as the electricity had formed it vanished, and Luigi opened his eyes in disappointment. "I thought I had it..."

"You did!" Mario cried out. "Weeg, you're power may even be stronger than mine! I wasn't able to form anything for months, but you...!"

"Really?" Luigi asked, hope shining in his eyes.

"Really." Mario confirmed. "So do you want to continue training or take a break?"

"I think I'll take a break for now. But... I'll definitely continue to train. Because if I can master this power, then maybe I could use it for good."

* * *

 _ **Replies**_

 **Mariogeek:** Ha, thanks! I figured I may as well do some foreshadowing. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **TheGameNguyener:** Dude, I was and still am the queen of procrastination, so I totally get what you're saying there. Thank you for the review!

 **Guest:** I know! I was one of them. :) Thank you for the review!

 **MarioYoshiZW:** Well, since this story is mostly focused on Mario and Luigi's brotherly relationship, it's not technically either. Though like I said last chapter, Peach isn't making a physical appearance in this fanfic, so Mario's main love interest is Pauline. Thank you for the review!

 **GirlOnDarkerSide:** Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **NormanWhitesmith:** Glad I could make someone laugh! Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Syrence:** Thank you so much! Thank you for the review!

 **Anonymous Girl Gamer:** Thank you for the review! **  
**


	13. Age Seventeen: Prom

_~Age Seventeen: Prom~_

"Oh, I can't believe my babies have grown up so quickly!"

Mario blushed as his mother snapped several pictures of himself and Luigi, before turning to Pauline. "Alright, and now I want pictures of all three of you together, and then some of just Mario and Pauline."

"Sorry." Mario mumbled to Pauline, who only shrugged with a giggle.

"It's fine," she replied. "I think it's cute that your mom is more excited about our prom than we are."

"Okay!" Mario and Luigi's mother chirped, placing her camera down on the table. "Now, have fun you three!"

"We will!" Mario yelled as he held the door open for Luigi and Pauline. "Tell Papa we love him when he gets home!"

"This is exciting," Pauline breathed as Luigi locked the front door of the house. "Can you believe it's already prom night? Soon enough we'll be official high school graduates!"

"I know," Mario replied, taking hold of one of Pauline's hands as the three of them began to walk to the school since it was so close. "And then... I guess the next thing will be us starting college."

"Don't remind me." Luigi mumbled, while Pauline hummed in acknowledgement. The three then lapsed into more pleasant topics, like what songs they were hoped would be played and what food they thought was going to be served. By the time they arrived at the school they were all laughing thanks to a funny anecdote Luigi had cracked, and before they knew it they were mingling with several of their peers as they waited to be let into the building.

As if on cue the doors opened, the principal warmly smiling at his students before allowing them in. It was finally time for the prom to start.

/~/

"May I have this dance?"

Pauline smiled at Mario who's hand was outstretched, and lightly giggling clasped her hand in his. "Yes, you may. Though you don't have to be such a gentleman, it's just me."

"Mama raised me to be a gentleman though." Mario explained as he led Pauline onto the dance floor, with her ending up leading because of the stark height difference between them. Meanwhile Luigi had a crowd around him as he had started to breakdance, which he was surprisingly good at. Pauline turned to Mario in amusement.

"I didn't know Luigi could breakdance!"

"Me neither." Mario replied, stunned. He lightly chuckled before returning to dancing, only to murmur something a moment later. "You look beautiful tonight."

Pauline stumbled, a deep blush creeping onto her face. "Um... thank you?" she stuttered, not knowing how to respond. Mario wished she wouldn't be so modest, she really did look beautiful; her hair an elaborate wave going down her back, her dress a vibrant red and her eyeshadow bold and purple while her lips were painted crimson. To Mario she was the most beautiful girl in the entire world.

The somewhat romantic moment was shattered when another couple accidentally bumped into them, and after a few more minutes Pauline and Mario sat down at their table, Mario shaking his head in disbelief as his brother was still having a blast on the dance floor. "Wow..."

"I know," Pauline murmured, before she turned her eyes to Mario. "So, college next year."

"Yeah..." Mario sighed. "So, we can see each other on breaks, and we can always talk on the phone."

"Uh-huh!" Pauline agreed. "It's going to be weird not seeing you every day though."

"I know. But that's what happens when you go to two different colleges."

Pauline hummed, before standing and extending her hand to Mario. "Come on, let's go dance some more. We may as well make the most of the time we have left together."

Mario grinned, placing his hand in Pauline's and letting her drag him onto the dance floor. "You're absolutely right."

* * *

 _ **Replies**_

 **GirlOnDarkerSide:** Yeah. At least he managed to master then though! Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Infinite's Ruby:** Aw, thanks! I'm always paranoid that I've gotten characterization wrong, so that's a relief! Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **TheGameNguyener:** I like to think that emotional support is Luigi's trigger as well. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Mariogeek:** Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Pikminfan:** Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **NormanWhitesmith:** I don't know if an accident will occur or not. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Syrence:** *coughIliketheMarioxPaulineshipbettertoocough* And thank you, I did a lot of research on Italian and I'm interested in learning the language now. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Anonymous Girl Gamer:** I like to think that Luigi's grades were only slightly below Mario's, and he beats himself up over it unnecessarily. Thank you for the review!


	14. Age Eighteen: Apes and Barrels

_~Age Eighteen: Apes and Barrels~_

Mario sat at a table in the café, nervously looking out the window every few seconds. He twiddled his thumbs while he waited, but it proved to be a poor distraction as his eyes still drifted to the window.

Finally, he saw the person he was looking for cross the street and open the door of the café, bringing with her the sounds of the construction work across the street. Pauline sighed dramatically as she sunk down in the seat across from Mario, giving him an apologetic smile.

"Sorry I'm late, traffic was a nightmare."

"That's alright," Mario smiled. "It's nice to see you. How's college been since the last time we talked?"

Pauline made a face. "Hard." she groaned. "What about you? How's medical school going for you and Luigi?"

Mario mimicked the face Pauline had just made, causing her to giggle. "That good, huh?" she asked. "Well, at least we don't have to worry about it for a bit. Spring Break is a time of relaxation, and I'm planning to do just that!"

"So Papa offered me and Weeg summer jobs," Mario began. "We'll be doing some minor plumbing in the sewers under his supervision."

"Fun." Pauline dryly commented. "But hey, money's money, right?"

"That's pretty much how we're looking at it." Mario sighed. The two lapsed into silence until a commotion was heard from outside, both Pauline and Mario frowning as they looked out the window to find the source coming from the construction site.

"What the-" Mario began, blinking several times to make sure his eyes weren't playing tricks on him.

"Is that... an ape?" Pauline asked, before standing. "I'm gonna go get a better look."

"Pauline, wait!" Mario cried, hurrying after her as she stepped outside into the throng of people staring at the ape in confusion and awe. Mario joined Pauline on the sidewalk, who was slowly shaking her head in disbelief.

"I can't believe it." she whispered. "Can you?"

"He must have escaped from somewhere," Mario deduced. "That's the only explanation."

The ape suddenly turned towards the pedestrians, before his gaze focused on Pauline. Neither her or Mario had a chance to react before the ape had grabbed her and began to climb the building. Pauline shrieked and attempted to break free, but the ape kept his iron grip around her as he climbed higher and higher.

Mario's hand balled into a fist, and as if on autopilot raced across the street and began to climb the building himself. He could hear several people down below gasping and telling him to get down, but all he was focused on was chasing after the ape and Pauline.

Pauline screamed for Mario, clearly terrified, and it was the drive he needed to fully see the rescue through. He wasn't going to fail, and nothing was going to stop him.

/~/

"I lost my purse."

Mario turned to Pauline who was trembling despite having a blanket wrapped around her, her eyes trained to the ground. Both of them had been taken to the hospital after Mario had rescued Pauline, and the ape who was known as Donkey Kong had been taken away by authorities.

"I dropped it when that ape grabbed me." Pauline continued in a low voice. She tightened her grip on the blanket, while sorrow filled Mario's heart. She was clearly traumatized, and he really coudn't blame her. If the tables had been turned, he would probably be the same way.

"Bro!"

Mario looked up only to find himself smothered in Luigi's hug. "Bro, are you okay? It was all over the news, Mama's panicking and Papa's-"

"Mario!"

Luigi winced. "And Papa's right here." he whimpered as he stepped aside, their father marching up to his eldest son.

"What were you thinking?" he hissed, Mario shrinking back. His father didn't get angry often, but when he did it was scary. "You let the authorities handle something like that, you don't go after the ape yourself!"

"What was I supposed to do? Just stand there and watch as Pauline was carried off by that thing? What would you have done if it was Mama?"

His father sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Luigi's eyes nervously shifted between his father, brother, and Pauline. "I wouldn't have put myself in danger by scaling the building! I would have found another solution!"

"But everything worked out fine in the end." Mario pointed out. "I'm fine, Pauline's fine, even the ape is fine!"

"That's not my point Mario. The point is that just because you have fancy powers and superb jumping abilities, that doesn't mean you throw yourself into the line of fire every time someone you care about is in trouble! There is a time and a place for everything, and this was not the time and place."

"But Papa..."

"No buts!" his father yelled, causing Mario to flinch and Luigi to whimper. "If you weren't an adult I'd ground you right now. Now, I need to go home and comfort your mother who is in complete hysterics over what you pulled. Luigi, you stay here with your brother." he made eye contact with Pauline. "And I'm very sorry about what you had to go through today, Pauline."

With that he turned and wandered out of the room, leaving Luigi to turn to his brother and Pauline. "Well... at least he wasn't as furious when we first left home. But bro..." Luigi looked Mario in the eye. "What you did today despite what Papa says was super brave. You should be proud of yourself."

"Exactly." Pauline chimed in. "I mean, it was amazing how you were able to jump over all those barrels."

Mario hummed in response, but overall remained distracted. His fathers words rang in his ears, bouncing around the inside of his head until it became all he could think about. However, he forced himself to smile at Luigi and Pauline. "Yeah, I guess it was sort of amazing."

* * *

 _ **Replies**_

 **TheGameNguyener:** I didn't have anyone to go to prom with, but I went anyway because I knew I'd regret it if I didn't. It was one of the only times I was seen in clothing that wasn't a hoodie and jeans, and halfway through I ditched my heels because they were hurting my feet. But it was honestly kind of fun, and I'm glad I went. Thank you for the review!

 **Syrence:** Ha, thanks! Thank you for the review!

 **GirlOnDarkerSide:** Fun fact: Luigi breakdancing comes from the Mario and Sonic at the Olympic Games series, where his first place winning animation is him breakdancing, and he's pretty good at it too! Thank you for the review!

 **NormanWhitesmith:** Thank you for the review!

 **Mariogeek:** Thank you for the review!

 **Mitha Sentro:** Yeah, I'm aware last chapter wasn't my best. Hopefully this chapter made up for it. Thank you for the review!


	15. Age Nineteen: Goodbye

_~Age Nineteen: Goodbye~  
_

"So... I guess this is it."

Mario took a sharp breath in before nodding. "Yeah, I guess it is." He paused, looking down and trying to hide the fact that tears were forming in his eyes. "I'm really going to miss you."

Pauline's smile wobbled, and she leaned down to hug Mario. "Yeah, I'm going to miss you too."

It was one thing to go to different colleges in the same city and see each other occasionally, but when one of you was suddenly moving to a new city... it made things slightly more complicated.

They both knew what was happening. They could both feel it coming ever since Pauline had said two months ago that she was moving with her parents since she couldn't afford to live on her own. They'd contemplated trying long distance, but in the end they realized that it wouldn't work since they both had schoolwork to concentrate on, and they couldn't focus on it if they were constantly on the phone with each other.

Mario slowly pulled away from Pauline's embrace, eyes on the ground. Pauline then turned to Luigi, giving him a quick hug. "Make sure your brother is going to be okay." she whispered in his ear, to which Luigi nodded.

"Of course."

Pauline sighed, turning to look at her parents who were already in the car waiting for her. She turned back to Mario and planted a kiss on his nose. "I'll call you when I get there so that you know I made it there safe." she promised. She swallowed a lump in her throat. "Bye Mario..."

"Bye Pauline." Mario replied numbly, watching as Pauline got into the car. The engine started up, and Pauline turned, waving as it slowly began to pull away. Mario and Luigi waved back, and continued waving until the car turned the corner.

She was gone.

Mario lowered his hand, feeling his heart break. Tears welled in his eyes, and he leaned on Luigi's shoulder for comfort.

Luigi winced, feeling Mario's sadness not just through empathy but through their twin connection. It was heartbreaking to see his normally cheerful brother so disraught like this, and he gently stroked his hair in an attempt to calm him. He said nothing however, for he knew words wouldn't be able to help Mario through his grief. He had no idea what it felt like to break up with someone, and he hoped he'd never have to find out.

After what felt like an eternity, Mario broke away from his brother and shuffled into the house. After a moment Luigi followed, but remained in the living room while his brother headed to their room. He knew that Mario needed space at the moment, so he turned his attention towards his schoolbooks and tried to concentrate on studying.

/~/

Mario stared blankly at the wall in front of him, trying not to burst into tears. Was it normal to feel this way after losing someone who had been there for you through the good times and bad? Was it supposed to feel like your heart had been shattered into pieces?

A knock at the door, followed by a soft, "Mario?" It was his mom, probably concerned about her son who hadn't come out of his room for an hour. After a moment he sighed.

"Come in Mama."

The door opened and Mario's mother wandered in, sadly smiling at her son as she sat down on his mattress, gently stroking his hair.

"It's alright to be sad," she softly whispered. "Especially since the two of you were so close. Don't be afraid to cry, go ahead and let it out. Nothing good comes from keeping your emotions bottled up inside. And don't ever let anyone make fun of you for crying, okay?"

Mario didn't reply at first, but eventually he sniffled and turned towards his mother, thin tears running down his face. "Okay..." he whispered before finding himself wrapped in her warm embrace.

* * *

 _ **Replies**_

 **TheGameNguyener:** Yeah, I wanted to emphasize that Mario's future is taking a different path. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Infinite's Ruby:** Thank you so much! I'm glad the imaginary friend aspect went over so well! Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Mariogeek:** Yeah, when it comes to heroism, Mario just jumps right on in. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Norman Whitesmith:** I wouldn't necessarily say it was cockiness, more of just agreeing with what everyone else was saying. And I wasn't planning on a chapter where they discover Super Mushrooms for reasons I'll explain down below. Thank you for the review! **  
**

**GirlOnDarkerSide:** I like to think Luigi's powers matured slowly over time. I do like that idea though. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Cicada 3301:** Well, I try. It's not always easy, but I try. And no other characters will be introduced for reasons I'll explain down below. Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Anonymous Girl Gamer:** Yes, Pauline losing her purse was a reference to _Odyssey!_ I'm so glad someone noticed! Thank you for the review!

* * *

 **AN: Well guys, we have two chapters left. I know some of you are probably going, "What, why?" but let me explain. I never planned to have this story go into detail about their adventures in the Mushroom Kingdom. As I put in my original AN on the first chapter, "This collection follows the brothers and their parents as they live out their lives, starting with Mario and Luigi being young children and ending with the moment the brothers eventually wind up in the Mushroom Kingdom". I never intended to go past that. But even still, I hope you enjoy the final two chapters!  
**

 **~Steel**


	16. Age Twenty: Disillusioned

_~Age Twenty: Disillusioned~  
_

Mario sighed as he tried to concentrate on the paper in front of him, but no matter how hard he tried he couldn't seem to focus on the subject at hand. It had been happening a lot recently, and he had a pretty good idea why.

He'd felt it - ever since he'd saved Pauline from Donkey Kong he'd felt this sense of... _adventure_... well up inside of him, yearning to break free and lead him into a new life. His studies just didn't interest him like they used to, he wanted to travel and see the world, find out what was out there.

As he'd found out, Luigi didn't share the same sense of adventure he did. Mario could remember the look on his brother's face, he'd looked at Mario like he was crazy. Maybe he was. But he just couldn't help but feel like he was needed somewhere.

Mario sighed and glanced down at his palm, and summoned a flame in the palm of his hand. He'd been given these powers for a reason, right? But he couldn't use them, not on Doppel at least. No, where had he been born again? The Mushroom Kingdom? And there had been others besides himself and his brother... five more was it? He wondered what they were up to, if they were in the Mushroom Kingdom and using their powers the way they were intended to be used.

Frustrated, Mario stood, taking off his hat and running a hand through his bangs. He made his way over to his bed and collapsed onto the mattress, staring up at the ceiling.

He wished he had someone to talk to. Someone who understood what he was feeling. But he was pretty sure no one else felt this way, and how would he even bring it up in conversation with someone without them thinking that he was crazy?

Reaching under his bed, Mario dug out a small photo album and opened the cover, the pages cracking as he flipped though them before coming across a small selection he'd taken from the shoebox he'd found when he was ten, something his parents didn't know he'd stolen. His eyes scanned over the pictures of himself and Luigi as babies, along with their blonde playmate who had apparently been a princess. He took note of the background; the lush, green hills, the vibrant mushrooms growing everywhere. It was like nothing he'd ever seen on this planet before.

He wanted to find his way back.

The question was how, exactly? He knew his parents wouldn't tell him how they managed to make it from the Mushroom Kingdom to Doppel, and he was sure no one else knew of it's existence. Mario sadly gazed at the photos, of where he was certain that he belonged. There was no other way to put it, he just _knew_ he had to go back.

If only he knew how.

/~/

Mario could hear someone calling his name.

He sat up, and almost immediately realized he was dreaming as everything around him was dark and mist swirled in the air around him, making his surroundings almost look magical in some sort of way. He glanced around before he saw a figure illuminated in light off in the distance, and with no hesitation slowly started making his way towards it.

As he got closer he realized the silhouette was a woman from her dress and long hair, but he couldn't make out any other defining features as the light behind her was so bright. He heard his name again, and realized it was the woman speaking to him. He walked faster, trying to reach the woman, but she kept moving away from him, still calling out his name.

A burst of fire erupted from the light and the woman was snatched by a giant hand, her voice going silent and being replaced by a series of deep, taunting laughs; ones that held some sort of familiarity to Mario as he'd _heard_ that laugh before, hadn't he?

He woke with a sharp gasp and sat bolt upright in bed, his breathing heavy as he ran a hand through his messy hair, trying to make sense of the dream.

The photo album was lying open on the floor, having fallen off the bed at some point during the night.

* * *

 _ **Replies**_

 **EnglishWriter:** Aw, I'm glad you're liking it so far! Thank you for the review!

 **NormanWhitesmith:** Hmm, I wasn't planning a sequel to this, but who knows? Thank you for the review!

 **MarioYoshiZW:** Thank you for the review!

 **TheGameNguyener:** As someone who's had to say goodbye before, I really tried to put my own emotion into this chapter. I'm glad I seemed to have pulled it off. Thank you for the review!

 **Anonymous Girl Gamer:** Again, I'm glad I seemed to pull off the emotions correctly. Thank you for the review!

 **Cicada 3301:** Why thank you so much! Thank you for the review!


	17. Age Twenty-One: End of an Era

**AN: Latest I've ever posted anything... but I didn't want to wait 'till tomorrow.**

* * *

 _~Age Twenty-One: End of an Era~ _

The sewers were dark, damp, and smelled terrible. Mario wrinkled his nose in disgust, but remained focused on the task at hand - figure out what was causing the plumbing issue in certain parts of the city. Beside him Luigi glanced around nervously, flashlight in hand and swiveling around at every little sound.

"So where did Papa say this blockage was?" Luigi asked. Mario pointed forward deeper into the sewer.

"Somewhere over there. Hopefully it won't take too long and we can go home soon."

Luigi nodded, before he screamed and pointed at something he saw off in the distance. "Bro, what's that?" he asked, shining his flashlight at the creature he saw.

Mario blinked, cocking his head and cautiously approaching what looked like a bipedal turtle with yellow skin and a green shell. He'd never seen anything like it before, and it didn't seem to be aggressive as it simply wandered back and forth minding it's own business.

"It's not aggressive, Weeg!" Mario called to his brother. "I think we can just walk past it with no problems."

While Luigi was hesitant, he slowly nodded and cautiously stepped towards Mario, and together they made their way around the turtle with no problems and wandered deeper into the sewers.

"What species of turtle was that?" Luigi questioned. "I've never seen anything like it before!"

"Me neither," Mario replied. "I'll have to look it up at the library. They should have some sort of book on turtles."

"Do you think it's what caused some of the blockage?" Luigi asked. Mario frowned, contemplating.

"Maybe..." he murmured. "Let's see if we can find any more."

The brothers walked in silence for the next few minutes, the only sound coming from the splashing of sewer water on their boots. Eventually though Luigi shined his flashlight at a large mass of objects, recoiling in surprise as we realized it was more of those turtles. "Bro, look!"

Mario assessed the situation in front of him. The turtles were coming out of a giant green pipe that didn't look natural alongside the grey ones that ran the length of the sewer walls. In fact, he'd never seen a pipe like this one before in his life! He stepped closer, but Luigi put a hand on his shoulder.

"What are you doing?!" he harshly whispered.

"I'm gonna see what's in that pipe. If we're lucky, maybe we'll be able to herd the turtles back into the pipe and seal it off with something. After all, they must've come from somewhere, right? Chances are good they'd head back out the other exit of the pipe so they wouldn't be trapped."

While Luigi was hesitant, he eventually nodded and handed his brother another flashlight. Mario switched it on and advanced towards the pipe, curiously circling it for a moment before he stood on his tiptoes and peeked inside.

Like he expected it was dark inside the pipe, and shining his flashlight down into it showed nothing but a large expanse of darkness. He couldn't help but notice the width of the pipe; it seemed large enough that someone could fall in. He'd need to make sure that didn't happen to him.

"Alright," Mario sighed. "There doesn't seem to be any more turtles coming out of the pipe, so I think we can attempt to get them back in."

"How, exactly?" Luigi pointed out. "Do we just throw them back in and hope for the best?"

Mario bit his bottom lip. "I mean, there's no other way to get them back in..." he mumbled. "And I doubt we can make any sort of ramp so they can walk back in. So..."

Luigi watched as Mario approached one of the turtles slowly as to not startle it. As soon as he placed his hand on the shell the turtle drew it's limbs and head into the shell as a protective measure.

"Weeg, I dunno about this..." Mario began. "I kind of feel bad for these little guys."

"I do too, but Papa said we needed to get rid of whatever was clogging up the sewers. I don't think we have a choice."

Mario sighed. "You're right." Wandering over to the pipe, he gently placed the turtle on the rim of the pipe. "Go on little guy. Go back home where you came from."

For a moment the turtle didn't do anything, but after a minute it withdrew it's limbs and stared down into the pipe curiously before it hopped back into the pipe, Mario sighing in relief.

"Good! One down - " he looked at the abundance of turtles around him and winced. "- and one hundred to go, it seems."

"Guess we should get to work then," Luigi sighed, picking up the turtle nearest to him. "You have to admit, these things look pretty cute."

Mario gave a small, agreeing chuckle. " _Sì_ , I think so too."

/~/

"And I think that's the last one!" Luigi exclaimed happily as the turtle disappeared into the pipe. It had been a long, grueling process, but it was finally done and by the looks of it they were indeed the culprits causing the plumbing problem. "Now we just need some way to seal it off and we'll be done here!"

Mario began to nod, before he noticed another turtle behind Luigi. "Or not. We missed one."

Luigi spun around and noticed another turtle wandering around, though instead of the green shells the other turtles had had, this one had a shell red as Mario's hat. "Weird. You think it's a different species than the other ones?"

"Maybe." Mario pondered as he slowly wandered up to the turtle, ready to pick it up like he had the other ones. However, this turtle turned and with hostility in it's eyes began to charge at Mario. Mario let out a small cry in shock and promptly turned, jogging back towards the pipe. "Get ready! This one's mean!"

Luigi yelped and jumped out of the way as Mario formed an idea in his head. Since it didn't seem the turtle could be caught the normal way...

Heart hammering, Mario sped up and leaped thrice, successfully vaulting over the pipe entrance and grabbing the lip of the pipe, watching as the turtle leaped in after him and fell back where it came from. His grip was loosening however...

"Bro!" Luigi cried, grabbing his brother's arm and trying to pull him out of the pipe, but was clearly struggling. Mario meanwhile attempted to grab onto the edge of the pipe with his free arm, but it was proving to be moot. He could tell Luigi couldn't support his weight much longer, as they were both beginning to slide into the pipe. The brothers exchanged a panicked glance before Luigi fell in too, both of them screaming as they faded into the darkness...

/~/

"Bro..."

Mario stirred and opened his eyes, his vision swimming for a moment before it focused on the blue sky above him. He immediately shot bolt upright, relieved when he found Luigi right next to him seemingly no worse for wear.

"What happened?" Mario mumbled as he slowly stood, moving his limbs around checking for any broken bones. Surprisingly, there were none.

"I dunno." Luigi answered nervously. "I- I think I blacked out at some point, because I don't remember how we ended up here..."

Mario took a moment to take in their surroundings. Vibrant mushrooms and flowers in all sorts of colours sprouted from the lush green grass, dotting the pathway up to a quaint little town with mushroom-shaped houses. Off in the distance was a white castle topped with magenta peaks.

Something about that castle sparked a dull memory in Mario's mind. Hadn't he seen that castle before, in one of the baby pictures he'd found? But if that was the case, then...

"Bro?" Luigi questioned, taking in the look on Mario's face.

Mario was silent for a moment before he turned to Luigi, his mouth slightly agape with wonder.

"Weeg... I think we're back home. In the Mushroom Kingdom."

 _~End~_

* * *

 ** _Replies_**

 **TheGameNguyener:** Yes, it was indeed Peach that Mario saw in his dream. All foreshadowing his arrival in the Mushroom Kingdom and what his life will become. And tell me about it, it feels like I've been working on this fic forever! Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **GirlOnDarkerSide:** Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Pikminfan:** And foreshadowing you did sense! Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Cicada 3301:** As for purely Mario stories? No, not at the moment. Who knows what the future holds though? Thank you for the review! **  
**

 **Anonymous Girl Gamer:** Thank you for the review!

* * *

 **AN: It's done. It's finally done. Wow. So firstly, thank you's are in order. Thank you so much to everyone who read, reviewed, followed and favourited this story. When I first began writing this, I did not expect it to get much attention, so the fact that it gained 25 favourites, 27 followers, and 90 (!) reviews astonishes me to no end. You guys rock, and don't you forget it!  
**

 **Second, I have no plans for a sequel to this at the moment, but who knows, I may have a change of heart in the future. Don't expect anything to come out of it soon though, as I have two other stories that need my attention right now.**

 **And thirdly... gosh, I dunno. Just, thank you again for the positivity and kind words. It really means so much to me knowing that people like my writing. And with that, I guess I'll see you all around!**

 **~Steel**


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